Authoritarian Parents: Why You Struggle to Make Decisions

Where’s your own opinion? It was forbidden. And you’re still searching for it.

Authoritarian parents are those who always know what’s right. Always. They don’t ask for your opinion. It doesn’t matter. They tell you what to do. What to wear. Who to be friends with. What career to pursue. Who to love. And if you dared to argue, punishment followed. Yelling. The silent treatment. Withholding. Or simply a look of deep disappointment.

You grew up in an environment where you had no right to a voice. Your job was to obey. Be compliant. Be convenient. Any defiance was punished. Any differing opinion was dismissed. “You’re too young.” “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.” “We’ll talk when you’re grown up.” But when you did grow up, that conversation never happened.